4. OTHER ACTIVITIES AND PLANS RELATED TO SMB
At the Cyprus and Athens SMB workshops participants from several SESAME member countries began planning for several future activities. Some of these are described below. Support will be sought from UNESCO and other sources.
4.1. Workshop/School on Bioinformatics and Structural Modelling
Organizers: Irit Sagi (Weizmann Institute, Israel), Zehra Sayers (Sabanci University, Istanbul), and Metaxia Vlassi (NCSR Demokritos, Greece)
The above three experienced biochemists from SESAME member countries are planning a one week workshop/school for up to 25 students from the Middle East. It is planned to hold it at Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey on September 3-9, 2001. Support is expected from Sabanci University and UNESCO. See appendix E for the first announcement of this workshop/school.
4.2. Workshop on SMB for scientists in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia
Organizer: Abdelaziz Soukri (Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco)
Soukri, an experienced biochemist, is planning a workshop aimed at bringing together scientists from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia to build the user base for SMB at SESAME. This workshop will be organised by Soukri, together with SESAME Interim Council member Abdeslam Hoummada, within the RUPH (Réseaux Universitaire du Physique des hautes energies) network, probably in September 2002.
Soukri already has a collaboration underway with Joel Sussman of the Weizmann Institute in Israel and with Metaxia Vlassi (see below). Soukri attended the annual meeting of the Israeli Crystallography Association in Jerusalem on June 1, 2000.
4.3. Scientific collaborations on protein structure determination
At the Cyprus workshop scientists from several SESAME member countries learned that some of them had the capability to produce proteins whose structures could be determined by others. A collaboration is already underway between Metaxia Vlassi (Greece) and Abdelaziz Soukri (Morocco) to model the structure of certain proteins with the aim of designing potential inhibitors. It is likely that additional collaborations will develop, including one on a protein that is involved in apoptosis (death) of cancer cells in a way that is not understood.
4.4. Invitation for a Middle East scientist to work at a European synchrotron radiation facility
As a result of the Athens workshop Pierre Rizkallah (Daresbury/Lebanon) and Engin Kendi (Turkey) arranged for a Visiting Fellowship at Daresbury Laboratory in the UK for Dr. Suheyla Ozbey of Hacettepe University, Ankara for training in protein crystallography. Dr. Ozbey visited there from 2 July to 4 Aug 2000, and will be coming back for another period starting 9 Mar 2001. This has resulted in a new project at Hacettepe; the study of biological macromolecules from the Turkish plant Cyclamen coum. Crystals will be studied both at the in-house facility in Ankara, and at the Synchrotron Radiation Source at Daresbury. Other projects are being evaluated for further collaborations with a third partner in Turkey.
4.5. Invitations for scientists from SESAME member countries to participate in the annual meeting of the Israeli Crystallography Association (ICA) in Jerusalem in June 2000
Abdelaziz Soukri (Morocco) came to this ICA meeting and met crystallographers from Israel. This led to his collaboration with Joel Sussman of the Weizmann Institute in Israel to determine the structure of proteins purified and expressed in Morocco.
5. AN SMB INSTITUTE AT THE SESAME SITE
The proposal for an SMB Institute at SESAME, drawn up by Pierre Rizkallah (Daresbury and Lebanon) and Metaxia Vlassi (Greece) after the first SMB workshop in Athens, was presented for comments by the participants in the Cyprus workshop. The details of this Institute (equipment, staff, costs) are spelled out in Appendix C of the report of the Athens SMB workshop which is available on the SESAME web site (www.sesame.org.jo).
The Cyprus workshop participants strongly endorsed the creation of this institute as a necessary component of a successful SMB program at SESAME and included the following statement in a resolution passed at the workshop:
"The biological scientists from SESAME member countries present at the Cyprus SMB workshop reaffirm and clarify the resolution passed unanimously at the Athens SMB meeting that: 'Top priority for the SMB scientific subgroup is to see a research institute established alongside SESAME for the development of SMB projects and infrastructure in the Region at the earliest possible date'. By 'alongside' we mean at the SESAME site. Experience at other SR centers around the world shows clearly that such proximity of user support facilities is critical for success."
Also included in the resolution were the following:
"The SMB subgroup of Sesame would like to ask the governments of member countries to support the establishment of networks of collaboration in research and training."
"Considering the recognition of the special need for collaboration with the PA, as included in the communiqué of the meeting of the restricted interim council, April 2000, the SMB subgroup looks forward to receiving more details for the biological sciences research institute in the PA (MEBSIR)."
The SESAME SMB Institute at the SESAME site would include scientific and technical staff and facilities for cloning, sequencing, expression, purification, and crystallization of proteins, allowing users to rapidly prepare samples for investigation by various SR techniques (CD, IR, Fluorescence, XAS, SAXS, and diffraction studies). Combined with biocomputing this will lead to increased understanding of proteins and practical applications to biotechnology. The core staffing of the SMB center is an important issue. Needed are biochemists, molecular biologists, engineers, technicians, software developers, systems developers etc. This permanent staff must be supplemented by students and post-doctorals who provide the continuous influx of new ideas. The SMB center would also be responsible for the operations of the SESAME SMB beam lines. Possible models for this range from very involved (collaboration) to minimal (mechanical trouble shooting). The support model also needs to include the administrative infrastructure to deal with beam time and resource allocation. The overall funding issues needs to be addressed for both the short term and long term plans.The SESAME SMB Institute should establish an R&D program that is driven by the scientists from the region. Based on present interests this program would include:
- Agricultural biotech
- Bioprocess and engineering in biotech
- Environmental biotech (bioabsorption, biofilter for heavy metal absorption)
- Food biotechnology
- Medical biotechnology: screening for new antibiotics etc.
- Training program for advanced/graduate degrees in collaboration with universities.
6. PROPOSED BIOLOGICAL INSTITUTE IN THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
The last part of the resolution, concerning the proposed biological institute in the Palestinian Authority called MEBSIR, was the result of intense discussion at the Cyprus workshop. Although workshop participants were very sympathetic to the need for scientific infrastructure development in the Palestinian Authority, most of the participants felt that creation of the SMB Institute at the SESAME site was critical to the success of an SMB program and should be given first priority. Serious concern was expressed that an early start, under SESAME auspices, of a second biology institute away from the SESAME site, would dilute resources and jeopardize the funding and successful creation of the first one. The prospect of having a synchrotron radiation research facility in the Middle East should encourage member countries, on their own, to develop their scientific infrastructure so that their scientists can make the best use of the facility. SESAME management should promote and encourage such development by individual member countries, but care must be taken to assure that these developments do not compromise the buildup of needed user-support facilities at the site. As SESAME becomes a reality, and particularly when it starts operation, it will certainly be a catalyst for the creation of facilities and other infrastructure developments in all member countries. In response to the last part of the resolution passed at the Cyprus workshop, Professor Assaf supplied the following information about MEBSIR on February 16, 2001:
"MEBSIR whose future establishment in Palestine has been endorsed by the IC meeting in Amman, Jordan is not an SMB institute, but rather a biological sciences center. Professor Assaf was asked at the Cyprus workshop to provide a clarification of the proposed institute in Palestine. He points out that such a biological sciences, or rather a life sciences, center when set-up will deal with information dissemination in the life sciences and serve as an umbrella for grouping and encouraging the advancement of relevant research in Palestine and the region among biological scientists in particular and life scientists in general. Its major objective is to exchange information and to encourage and promote research in the various biological sciences fields. The vision for MEBSIR (or perhaps to be called MELSIR - the "l" for life sciences) is to be a network for life sciences research promotion institute without the required specific structural laboratories of the SMB institute at the SESAME site with the various necessary laboratory facilities for structural studies."
6.1 Comment by Ercan alp & Herman Winick; Cochairs of the Sesame Scientific Committee
As Cochairs of the SESAME Scientific Committee charged with developing the SESAME scientific program, we strongly endorse the development in all SESAME member countries of scientific infrastructure in general and scientific institutes in particular. The need in the Palestinian Authority is particularly urgent. From our experience at our synchrotron radiation facilities (APS and SSRL), and from our knowledge of the experience at the many other operational facilities around the world, we know that a successful synchrotron radiation facility will stimulate the development of new institutes and scientific infrastructure in the user community. We are also keenly aware of the urgent need for scientific support facilities for users at the SESAME site, as provided by all successful synchrotron radiation user facilities. Planning for this has been a major topic at each of the three scientific workshops conducted by the SESAME Scientific Committee. This need is particularly important given the low level of relevant scientific infrastructure in some SESAME member countries. The SMB Institute at the SESAME site is a key element in this planning. Its objectives include those of MEBSIR as described above in the note by Professor Assaf. MEBSIR was endorsed by the SESAME Interim Council at its June 2000 meeting in Amman, as described in Item 30 of the July 12, 2000 Draft Summary of this meeting by Siegbert Raither. (Note that this item was not included in the July 4 summary by Dr. Raither.)
"30. In order to foster the special collaboration between Palestinian Authority and Jordan as stipulated in the Communiqué of the Restricted Interim Council meeting held at CERN, the IC agreed to endorse the proposal of Prof Assaf that a Middle East Biological Sciences Institute (MEBSIR) be established at a Palestinian location not too far from the SESAME facility."
Along with participants at the Cyprus SMB workshop, we are concerned that the Interim Council gave a quick endorsement of MEBSIR without input from the SESAME Scientific Committee, without discussion of the relationship of MEBSIR and the SMB Institute at the SESAME site, and without consideration of the source of funding for MEBSIR. We urge the IC to clarify this at the earliest opportunity.